Programs of Study
The Cleveland Institute of Art offers 19 majors in art, design, craft, and integrated media. Each of these four-year undergraduate programs leads to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA). And if you’re interested in teaching, we offer a 4+1 degree program in partnership with Case Western Reserve University.
Foundation
CIA's Foundation program
Liberal Arts
Liberal Arts at CIA
Craft + Material Culture Majors
Ceramics Enameling Glass Jewelry + Metals
Design Majors
Communication Design (Graphic Design) Industrial Design Interior Design
Integrated Media Majors
Animation Biomedical Art Game Design Illustration Photography T.I.M.E. - Digital Arts Video
Visual Arts + Technologies Majors
Drawing Fiber + Material Studies Painting Printmaking Sculpture
Your Creative Environment
As a creative thinker, you draw inspiration from the environment that surrounds you—so we have organized CIA’s curriculum into six areas of study that we call Environments. All students spend the first year in Foundation, building a solid set of art and design basics. Then you’ll choose a major in either Design, Craft + Material Culture, Visual Arts + Technologies, or Integrated Media. And throughout your time here, you’ll take classes in Liberal Arts.
Each major in an Environment maintains its own curriculum, while the Environment philosophy weaves throughout each major. Close interaction with faculty and students in majors throughout your Environment helps you develop a breadth of artistic vision to support your in-depth study of your discipline. Students share resources and ideas with the other majors in their Environment. And faculty reach across disciplines to promote integrative thinking and the expression of your ideas through multiple media. That’s how you’ll turn your inspiration into creative work that influences your world.
Foundation
Our students come to CIA with an extraordinary variety of skill levels and artistic accomplishments. So we’ve developed a year-long Foundation curriculum that brings all students to an equal artistic footing. In this environment, you’re free to explore new methods of expression while acquiring a solid set of essential artistic skills in drawing, 2D and 3D design, digital art, and color. And in the spring you can choose one elective studio course related to your possible major. Learn about CIA’s Foundation program.
Liberal Arts
In order to create, you need not only art and design skills, but also the ideas behind them. So woven throughout each semester at CIA are courses in the humanities and social sciences—art history, English, philosophy, anthropology, psychology. Through it all you’ll get a rich understanding of the influence of culture and society on art throughout history. Plus, we offer two options for students who crave concentrated coursework in the liberal arts. Complete a Visual Culture Emphasis to enjoy extensive training in art history, theory, and criticism. Or opt for a Creative Writing Concentration if you want a career advantage in fields like illustration or film (or if you just love to write). Learn about Liberal Arts at CIA.
Craft + Material Culture
The material objects in our lives enrich our day-to-day experiences through the artistic expression and skilled craft of the maker. In the Craft + Material Culture Environment you’ll push the limits of both contemporary and traditional methods. You’re encouraged to take risks in your work and challenge the conventional use of material. The Craft + Material Culture Environment contains four majors: Ceramics, Enameling, Glass, and Jewelry + Metals.
Design
The ad for your iPod, the interior of your favorite coffeehouse, and the car you dream of buying one day—all caught your eye because of their memorable design. CIA’s Design Environment teaches you the art of solving real-world problems through design. The Design Environment contains three majors: Communication Design (Graphic Design), Industrial Design, and Interior Design.
Integrated Media
Integrated Media is a robust interdisciplinary Environment that prepares you to communicate at the intersection of art, innovation, and technology. Collaboration and team projects are a vital part of the studio experience at CIA, so all IME students take core required courses together and exchange a variety of differing perspectives, various forms of communication, and awareness of multiple disciplines. The Integrated Media Environment contains seven majors: Animation, Biomedical Art, Game Design, Illustration, Photography, T.I.M.E. - Digital Arts, and Video.
Visual Arts + Technologies
Through an integrated curriculum shared with all students in the VAT Environment, you’ll gain broad knowledge in the field of visual arts to strengthen your in-depth knowledge of your chosen practice. Your coursework and studio practice will be enriched as you pursue collaborations and shared coursework in the other disciplines that make up the VAT Environment. In the spring you have an opportunity to travel to New York during an annual VAT trip, where you’ll experience firsthand professional galleries and exhibitions such as the Whitney Biennial and the Armory Show. And you’ll have access—both through courses and individual interaction—to the VAT Artist-in-Residence, who is an artist working at the top of his or her field. The Visual Arts + Technologies Environment contains five majors: Drawing, Fiber + Material Studies, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture.